The Mets’ playoff campaign will be conducted without Francisco Lindor for the fourth consecutive day.
Lindor will not be in the lineup Thursday against the Phillies because of his back issue when the Mets open a four-game homestand against the NL East leaders. according to SNY.
The National League MVP candidate had said Monday he would be sidelined for three to five days and now appears likely to return at the end of that period at the earliest.
Lindor last played Sunday against these same Phillies, playing one inning at shortstop before being removed in a 2-1 loss.
He missed Saturday’s game, his first absence of the year, the day before due to the back problem.
He said his back had been bothering him for more than a week but aggravated it Friday while running the bases in a blowout win over the Phillies.
Lindor received a clean MRI that cleared the way for his return this week.
“The best-case scenario would be to play the Nationals,” Lindor said Monday. “But I don’t know how realistic that is. We’ll see how I react (Tuesday) and if the coaches allow me to change teams. I’m going to force them to do something, but I respect their decision and the way they do things.”
Lindor missed the entire Nationals series, but the Mets didn’t miss a beat without him, sweeping Washington for the third time this season.
Prospect Luisangel Acuña held down the fort in Lindor’s absence, going 5-for-8 with two homers and four RBIs while starting at shortstop the past two nights.
Thursday’s opener marks the start of a tough 10-game stretch to close the Mets’ season (84-68) that will determine whether they return to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
The Mets hold fifth place in the National League thanks to a tiebreaker advantage over the Diamondbacks and have a two-game lead over the Braves for a playoff spot.
They’ll face Atlanta on the road next week (the series winner will have the tiebreaker after splitting the first 10 games) before finishing the year in Milwaukee against the NL Central champion Brewers.
“I expect it to last the rest of the year, but it will be manageable,” Lindor said earlier this week.
